McDonald’s and Kick it Out have partnered with English football manager Emma Hayes OBE to ensure football comes home again – awarding 100 bursaries to young and aspiring football coaches across the country. Emma will also mentor a selection of coaches to help guide them to success as they complete their qualifications.
The bursaries are specifically designed for young people from disadvantaged or minority communities, and will provide funding for Introduction to Football Coaching qualifications and UEFA C coaching qualifications. In football coaching alone, qualifications can cost over £5,000, potentially ruling out amazing home-grown talent from taking up the opportunity.
Part of McDonald’s Makin it initiative, which provides genuine opportunities for young people in the areas they live in, the bursary programme will directly address some of the concerns raised by young people when it comes to accessing career opportunities – many of whom feel there are huge barriers to their dream careers.
Research from McDonald’s of 2,000 young people aged 16 to 24 revealed almost 1 in 2 (44%) believe there aren’t enough projects in their area aimed at providing support and opportunities for them. In addition, young people feel there is a lack of opportunity and barriers to success. As a result, over half (51%) are changing their expectations for the future and almost a third (27%) admit they’ve become less ambitious altogether.
To highlight the barriers to opportunity in football, McDonald’s has released a stirring video featuring Emma Hayes and a number of young players and coaches. The video talks through the challenges faced by many young coaches in getting in and staying in the game, alongside some tips and advice from Emma herself.
Emma Hayes OBE said:“Coach education and qualifications are cost prohibitive, yet there’s still this expectation that people should be able to access great grassroots football coaches for free. There are so many amazing volunteers who work tirelessly in football, and I think more needs to be done to invest in developing these leaders and champion them for the wonderful work that they do. Until more is done at an institutional level, subsidies like the McDonald’s Makin it bursary, will be so important to create more qualified coaches, and help aspiring coaches from disadvantaged backgrounds get the support and encouragement they need to continue on in the game.”
McDonald’s UK & Ireland Vice President Impact, Andrew Moys, explained why the company has been investing in this ground-breaking initiative: “Makin’ it is about frontline change – whether that’s youth work embedded into local areas to give young people access to trusted adult support, or funding football coaching bursaries – we are actively trying to open up genuine opportunity in our local communities. Over the last 18 months we’ve seen first-hand the difference that can be made when young people have access to real opportunity and trusted adult support via our youth work programme, and we’re excited to expand the essence of Makin’ it into football through a new partnership with Kick it Out and Emma Hayes. Better access to tangible, local opportunities like these coaching qualifications and mentorship from Emma, can help drive real change for young people across the country, many of whom might feel their career dreams are out of reach.”
Makin’ it has already made a meaningful impact to young people’s lives, with an 18-month pilot phase opening doors for young people in restaurants in towns across UK & Ireland. More than 180 restaurants were paired with local youth services, projects and youth workers, giving young people in these communities a safe place to seek support. These restaurants are now facilitating regular drop-in sessions, workshops, training and informal meetings for youth workers and young people.
To find out more about Makin’ it visit: https://mc-ds.uk/makinit
